Jamb Liners Can Help Repair Double-Hung Wood Windows

LESLIE: Wayne in Georgia is on the line needing some help with a window situation. What’s going on at your money pit?

WAYNE: Got a window that needs either a jamb liner or balancer. You know, it’s the things that are in the side of the window that help the window go up and down, slide up and down. A lot of times, the paint gets in them and sticks them up. Sometimes the balancer, jamb liners – whichever they are – get crunched because they’re real thin-mil finished aluminum. And I was trying to find – wanted to find a source for them, which was my call.

TOM: So the window – the double-hung window – is a metal window? It’s not a wood window?

WAYNE: No, it’s wood, double-hung.

TOM: Yeah, these jamb liners are available and I think the kind that’s probably the easiest to replace – to install – as a replacement liner are kind that are based on sort of – the track has sort of a spring in it and it pinches the window from the side. And you can almost adjust how much grab it has by – I stuck a putty knife into these things and sort of bent them in just slightly to give it more bite into the window.

Now, you’re having trouble finding these at your local home centers?

WAYNE: Yeah.

TOM: What about a lumberyard? I mean a lumberyard should be able to order one for you.

WAYNE: Yeah, I’ve called them. I’ve called them and they say they can get them. And then when I call back, they say no.

TOM: Wayne, if you’re having trouble finding these at home centers and hardware stores, you can order them online. There are a number of companies online that distribute window-jamb liners and that’s what you’re searching for: window-jamb – j-a-m-b – liners.

WAYNE: Right.

TOM: One such company is JRProductsInc.com. They have a wide selection. They’re not expensive. It looks like they’re between, say, $10 and $15 depending on the length. And I think that’s probably all you’re going to need.

I do see, also, that Lowe’s sells them online. But I don’t see them in the store, so you may also check Lowes.com for window-jamb liners. I think if you search online for those companies, you should be good to go. Does that help you out?

WAYNE: That helps me.

TOM: Alright. Good luck with that project. Thanks so much for calling 1-888-MONEY-PIT.